Monday, January 21, 2008

Cheapest Shots of the 2007 Season

Cheap shots, unfortunately, are part of football. They often go unnoticed, but with the help of reader submissions, we do our best to call attention to these despicable, cowardly acts in hopes the offenders will be punished.

Once again we present the 10 finalists for the Cheapest Shot of 2007. You get only one vote, so review the plays carefully. Texas A&M's Kellen Heard was the runaway choice as having the Cheapest Shot of 2006 for a late hit on Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

In no particular order, here are the finalists along with a link to the original post.

1. An unidentified Western Kentucky player cuts down Bowling Green defensive end Nick Davis at the end of this play. Davis suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Watch closely at the end of the play, at the bottom left corner of the "B" painted at midfield. Link to original post.

2. Auburn lineman Chaz Ramsey chop blocks Louisiana State's Glenn Dorsey. Although Dorsey escaped serious injury, he was never quite the same for the remainder of the 2007 regular season. Original post.

3. LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson delivers a karate chop to the head of Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson. Original post.

7. Notre Dame's Travis Thomas and Mike Ragone rip off the helmet of Penn State's Jerome Hayes and then rough up the Nittany Lion. One of 14 penalties that were called on the Fighting Irish. Original post.

8. Another Auburn chop block, this time on Clemson defensive tackle Dorell Scott in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Original post.

9. Michigan receiver Greg Mathews has his eyes gouged by Florida linebacker Dustin Doe in the Capital One Bowl. Original post.

10. Washington's Jake Locker takes a late hit from USC's Shareece Wright, one of 16 penalties called on the Trojans during their 27-24 victory. Original post.

33 comments:

Definitely the most publicized cheap shot for the year was the Dorsey chop, but I have to wonder why all the fans are so bent out of shape when Dorsey himself said it wasn't on purpose and he wasn't holding a grudge.

1. Jack Ikegwuonu gets punched in the balls by some Gopher scrub WR. Best part is the camera cuts to Bielema going ballistic, mouthing clear as day "he punched him in the nuts!"

2. MSU guy's incredible spear job on Kyle Jefferson, a hit that was so dirty that even Paul McGuire stuttered before making excuses for the MSU kid. Bonus points for making Top Plays and for Paul McGuire calling it a great hit then getting called out in the New York Times for being completely blind and retarded. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC7_WHGsoV8)

Von Miller's hit is so far from being a cheap shot it isn't even funny. The fact that it is leading is even more laughable. Harrel crawling around trying to draw a flag like he's hurt and then jumping up and running the next play is more cheap than that hit. Late? Yes. Cheap? No.

You missed another cheap shot on Colt McCoy, this time in the OU game by Auston English. It was a lot like the A&M hit on Harrell - the play was dead, the whistles long blown, and English just planted McCoy right in front of the referee. No call.

The two chop blocks, and particularily the one on Dorsey were the only real cheap shots in the bunch. The others were just football. Not even in the same class. Some of the nominees are pretty strange. Most are run of the meal late hits in the heat of battle. And the "chop" by Jackson, is nothing more than missing the ball and hitting the helmet. Stupid, and technically a penalty, but probably not even felt by Woodson.

OK. The hit on the UGA QB by the Florida Defender was bazaar. No excuse and definitely stupid. But the guy obviously had a brain fart because of the strangeness of the play and lack of a whistle. And the QB wasn't likely to be injuried by the hit, which was no worse than a typical blindside by a blitzer. Still, probably not malicious. The chop on Dorsey was so perfectly executed that it had to have been practiced and planned. No other explanation. That is as cheap as they come.

BAD CALL BY THE WIZ....NUMBER 10 IS NOT A CHEAPSHOT ON LOCKER. HIS LAST STEP WAS STILL IN BOUNDS AND BASED ON THE RULES OF FOOTBALL, YOU BASE IT ON WHERE THE PLAYER'S BODY IS, NOT WERE IT IS GOING TO BE. LOCKER'S LAST STEP WAS IN BOUNDS. HE IS FREE TO BE HIT.

Two things to consider here: 1) Listen to the referee's words: "After the play, personal foul on the defense." The key words being "After the play." That is stated twice by the referee. 2) Wright's blow is one to the head.

How can anyone think the cheap shots by the ND players is just playing football. They ripped the guys helmet off and tagged teamed him with multiple blows to the head and face. He ended up with a 2" laceration above his eye.

Looks like we have some more blind retards. The OU hit was horribly late, the Jake Locker was very out of bounds, and Tyson Jackson throwing haymakers is just football? The two Auburn plays are the only dirty ones? GM a FB

that forces the question: is dirty football the same thing as "cheap" football.

i would say that a dirty hit, which you could pass as 'football', is still a cheap shot.

the ND thing is the worst by far in my opinion, two guys punching a kid with no helmet on? and then not getting their ass kicked because the PSU punter saved them? what a bunch of p*ssies, no wonder ND was to terrible this year.

also, how in the world does that tech-a&m hit have so many votes? its a qb getting hit a little late, ive seen it in every single game i've ever watched...you have face mask grabbing and helmetless punching, yet that is pulling in like 25% of the vote? i'm calling bs.

I'm just surprised the first video doesn't have more votes. That one pissed me off - that poor player was nowhere near the play and he had his knee blown by a cheap hit from behind. What a cheap, dirty play...

The worst cheap shot of the year isn't even on your list. UGA vs. Georgia Tech. Late in the game, Tech is down and one of their O-lineman after the plan and away from the action dives at Brandon Miller's knees. The Tech player was immediately ejected. Worst cheap shot of the year.

Hit on Locker out of bounds not a cheap shot? How so? Take a look at the last replay. The defender (#24) has his left foot OUT OF BOUNDS when he hits him! The replay before that one is even more incrminating. You can clearly see #24 almost completely out of bounds (notice the white chalk) and hitting Locker.

The hit on Dorsey is the worst. And the proof that it was intentional is the play before it. Dorsey threw the auburn lineman like a rag doll and made a tackle for a 5 yard loss. And then magically the lineman that dorsey was destroying hits him in the knee. Also watch the auburn guy's head, he never looks at anything but dorsey's leg.

The USC hit on Locker - no clear parallel view of the side lines - looks out of bounds and I think it is after watching it several times. I would defer to the refs that were right there with the parallel view of the sidelines - they called it and I would agree with them... I think the USC fans have trouble seeing around their over inflated egos...